GB2093105A

GB2093105A - Gasket for retaining window glass

Info

Publication number: GB2093105A
Application number: GB8203431A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Comind SpA
Current assignee: Comind SpA
Priority date: 1981-02-12
Filing date: 1982-02-05
Publication date: 1982-08-25
Also published as: FR2499620B1; BE892105A; IT1143385B; DE3204345A1; IT8167193A0; GB2093105B; ES263654Y; ES263654U; FR2499620A1

Abstract

The gasket comprises a first continuous portion (10) of a soft elastomer including a gripping lip (11) for engagement with a bodywork flange (L), a glass pane bearing seat (12), and a member (13) of a rigid elastomer which closes the seat (12) along the outer side thereof, and a wedge portion (20) intended to be force fitted between the housing (A) and member (13) in order to clamp the glass pane edge. Member (13) is sufficiently elastic to enable the installation of the glass pane into its related seat. Mutually engaging lugs 22, 130 keep the wedge in place. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Assemblable elastomeric gasket for retaining fixed window glass panes on motorvehicles, in particular passenger cars This invention relates to an assemblable elastomeric gasket for retaining fixed window glass panes on motorvehicles, in particular on passenger cars.

As is known, currently used retention arrangements for fixed glass panes utilise a continuous gasket which surrounds the glass pane and having a channel seat containing its edge and a gripping lip for engagement with an abutment blade pre-arranged in the seat accommodating the glass pane.

Such known gaskets and related coupling systems have several disadvantages, and mainly excessive protrusion of the gasket from the surfaces of the glass pane and bearing structure, e.g. the car body, as well as a considerable complexity of the glass pane mounting operations.

The excessive protrusion of the gasket disturbs the aerodynamic behaviour of the vehicle by breaking the laminar flow and generating eddies, with an attendant significant deterioration of the form coefficient (Cx) and running comfort, due to the induced noise. The complexity of the mounting operations, on one side, increases the production costs considerably, and on the other side, involves the availability of qualified labour.

This invention sets out essentially to eliminate such drawbacks by providing a gasket for the retention of fixed glass panes as indicated, which introduces no appreciable worsening of the aerodynamic form coefficient of the vehicle, while substantially unaffecting the surface continuity at the glass pane-supporting structure interface, and is effective to substantially facilitate the storage and subsequent installation of the glass panes.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an assemblable elastomeric gasket for retaining fixed window glass panes on motor vehicles, in particular on passenger cars, characterised in that it comprises a first continuous portion of a soft elastomer material having a gripping lip for engagement with the abutment blade provided in the glass pane housing and a continuous flap of a rigid elastomer material adapted to close said seat along the outer side thereof such as to clamp the glass pane, the continuous flap being spreadable apart to allow the installation of the glass pane in said seat, and a second continuous portion adapted to be wedged in between the sidewall of the glass pane housing and said flap, to force the latter to clamp the edge of said glass pane, the contact surfaces of the flap and second gasket portion being provided with wedge-lil < e lugs or extensions for mutual engagement.

Further features and advantages will be more apparent from the following detailed description of the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, given herein by way of example only and where: Figure 1 is an enlarged scale sectional view of the inventive gasket, shown in its assembled state; Figure 2 is a sectional view showing in detail the second gasket portion; and Figure 3 is a sectional view similar to Figure 1 but illustrating the glass pane assembling procedure.

With initial reference to Figures 1 and 2, the numeral 10 designates the first portion and 20 the second portion of this gasket.

The portion 10, which is made of a soft elastomer, is provided with a gripping lip 11 for engagement with the abutment blade L provided in the housing A of the glass pane K, and with a seat 12 for accommodating the glass pane therein. With the portion 10, there is made partly rigid by a continuous flap 13 of a substantially rigid material, such as a hard rubber, co-extruded with said portion 1 0. Preferably, the flap 10 will have a substantially S-like cross-sectional profile.

A part 1 3a thereof, which is embedded in the material of the portion 10, may contour, for stiffening purposes, the blade L. The remaining part 1 3bis free, contours laterally the portion 10, and closes at the top the seat 1 2 for the glass pane, to form with said seat a channel-like housing or receptacle which contains the peripheral edges of the glass pane. The part 1 3b of the flap 13 may be spread apart elastically relatively to the portion 10, such as to assume the position shown in Figure 3 at which, as may be seen, the seat 1 2 is open to accommodate, during the assembling stage, the glass pane K.The thickness of the flap 1 3 is selected such that, in the non-spread apart position, there is delimited a peripheral gap X between said flap and the inner wall of the housing A for the glass pane. Into this gap, the second portion of the gasket 20 is force fitted which, being substantially of wedge-like shape, forces the part 1 3b of the flap 13 to clamp the edge of the glass pane, thus achieving an effective retention of the same. In its fully inserted position, the second portion 20 has its outer surface set perfectly flush with the surface Z of the bearing structure which comprises, for instance, the car body, and with the front surface 1 3C of the flap 13, thus providing a joint having no surface continuity breaks.

The only surface continuity break is represented by the projection A of the flap 13 relatively to the surface of the glass pane K. That break, however, is barely perceptible, being on the order of a few millimeters, and does not result in practice in any appreciable disturbance of the airflow past the glass pane. The second portion 20 of the gasket is also formed from a soft elastomer and is reinforced with a rigid core 21, such as of a hard rubber incorporated by co-extrusion. The contact surfaces of the flap 13 and second portion 20 are formed with wedge-like lugs or extensions 1 3d-22, respectively, which serve to mutually engage such elements; additional retention lugs 23 being provided on the surface of the portion 20 contacting the sidewall of the housing A.

To assemble the glass pane, as shown in Figure 3, the portion 10 is first fitted onto the blade L.

Then, the wall 1 3b of the flap 13 is spread apart to open the seat 12 and allow the glass pane therein, and finally the second portion of the gasket 20 is forced into the peripheral gap X to lock the glass pane into said seat.

Of course, within the same general principle, the construction details and the embodiments of the invention may be modified with respect to what has been described and illustrated in the foregoing by way of example and not of limitation, without departing from the invention scope.

Claims

1. An assemblable elastomeric gasket for retaining fixed window glass panes on motorvehicles, in particular on passenger cars, characterised in that it comprises a first continuous portion of a soft elastomer material having a gripping lip for engagement with the abutment blade provided in the glass pane housing and a continuous flap of a rigid elastomer material adapted to close said seat along the outer side thereof such as to clamp the glass pane, the continuous flap being spreadable apart to allow the installation of the glass pane in said seat, and a second continuous portion adapted to be wedged in between the sidewall of the glass pane housing and said flap, to force the latter to clamp the edge os said glass pane, the contact surfaces of the flap and second gasket portion being provided with wedge-like lugs or extensions for mutual engagement.

2. An elastomeric gasket according to Claim 1, wherein said flap has a substantially S-like crosssection profile, one portion whereof, embedded in the material of the first gasket portion, contouring for stiffening purposes the abutment blade, the remaining free portion contouring laterally said first portion and closing at the top of the glass pane housing to form with said seat a channel-like housing adapted to accommodate the edge of the glass pane therein.

3. An elastomeric gasket according to the preceding claims, wherein the thickness of the continuous flap is selected such as to delimit a peripheral gap between said flap and the inner wall of the glass pane housing, said gap being intended to contain in force-fitting relationship said second gasket portion

4. An elastomeric gasket according to the preceding claims, wherein said second gasket portion is formed from a soft elastomer and is reinforced with a rigid core, advantageously of a hard rubber incorporated by co-extrusion.

5. An assemblable elastomeric gasket for retaining fixed window glass panes on motorvehicles, in particular on passenger cars, substantially as herein described and illustrated.